The present invention relates to an improved balance beam for use by gymnasts.
While a variety of different balance beams are currently available in the marketplace, they suffer from the drawback of not providing sufficient shock absorbing capabilities when a gymnast jumps or otherwise performs a feat on the balance beam, which requires the gymnast to momentarily leave the balance beam, and then return to the balance beam. As a result of the failure to provide a sufficient shock absorbing capability, gymnasts are occasionally injured during the performance of the feat.
Wherefore, it is an object of the present invention to overcome the above noted drawbacks of the prior art balance beams.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a balance beam which provides a sufficient shock absorbing capability when a gymnast performs a feat on the balance beam to lessen the impact when the gymnast returns to the balance beam, following performance of the feat, and thereby minimize the likelihood of any injury occurring from such impact.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a shock absorbing capability along the entire length of the balance beam so that each individual section along the length of the balance beam has a similar shock absorbing capability.
Yet another object of the present invention is to allow a top surface of the balance member beam to move vertically with respect to a beam support core while preventing the top surface of the balance beam from becoming skewed or otherwise disoriented with respect to the beam support core.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a flexible skin surrounding the exterior surface of the improved balance beam to ensure a finger or some other body part does not become lodged between the two relative moving components of the balance beam and thereby minimize the likelihood of any injury occurring to the gymnast or a bystander.
The present invention also relates to a balance beam having a shock absorbing capability, the balance beam comprising: an elongate beam member; an elongate beam support core supporting the elongate beam member; a resilient element located between the beam member and the beam support core, and the resilient element being at least partially compressed to allow the beam member to move relative to the beam support core when a vertically downward force is exerted on the beam member to absorb shock imparted to the balance beam by a user.
The present invention also relates to a method of absorbing shock in a balance beam, the method comprising the steps of: providing an elongate beam member; supporting the elongate beam member via an elongate beam support core; locating a resilient element between the beam member and the beam support core; and at least partially compressing the resilient element, when a vertically downward force is exerted on the beam member, to allow the beam member to move relative to the beam support core and absorb shock imparted to the balance beam by a user.